The next Dalai Lama too may be a 'separatist' for China

The Dalai Lama has said that his successor will be born in the “free world” outside of Chinese-controlled territories.

In his new book ‘Voice for the Voiceless’, which was accessed by Reuters, the Tibetan leader has for the first time formally said that his successor would be born in the “free world” which he describes as outside of China. So far, he had said that the successor could be born in India where he lives in exile.

“Since the purpose of a reincarnation is to carry on the work of the predecessor, the new Dalai Lama will be born in the free world so that the traditional mission of the Dalai Lama —that is, to be the voice for universal compassion, the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, and the symbol of Tibet embodying the aspirations of the Tibetan people— will continue,” writes the Dalai Lama in the book.

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The Dalai Lama’s declaration has set the stage for a confrontation between the Tibetans and Chinese regime as China has long maintained that it has the sole right to appoint the Dalai Lama. China considers the Dalai Lama a separatist and is certain to declare the successor anointed by his followers in exile as a separatist as well.

The Dalai Lama is the temporal and spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhiists. It is a centuries-old tradition and every office-holder is considered to be the reincarnation of the previous one. The current Dalai Lama, whose birth name is Lhamo Thondup, is the 14th Dalai Lama. He has lived in exile in India since 1960.

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In 1950-51, the Communist Party of China (CPC) invaded Tibet and has occupied the region since then. As it imposed Han Chinese culture and suppressed the Tibetans’ cultural and linguistic rights, people rose in revolt against the occupation in March 1959. As the CPC crushed the uprising with brute force, the Dalai Lama fled along with a contingent of followers and arrived in India weeks later. His followers have since run a government-in-exilein Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh.

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In the book, published by Harper Collins, the Dalai Lama writes that Tibet remains “in the grip of repressive Communist Chinese rule” and that the campaign for the freedom of the Tibetan people will continue “no matter what”, even after his death, according to Reuters.

The Dalai Lama, who has said he will release details about his succession around his 90th birthday in July, writes that his homeland

The Dalai Lama further said that the Government-in-Exile of Tibet would should continue working for the Tibetan cause after his death.

“The right of the Tibetan people to be the custodians of their own homeland cannot be indefinitely denied, nor can their aspiration for freedom be crushed forever through oppression. One clear lesson we know from history is this: if you keep people permanently unhappy, you cannot have a stable society,” writes the Dalai Lama.

Even as he has expressed the desire to return to his homeland once, he has said that the hope of return is now “increasingly unlikely” given his advanced age.

In December, the Dalai Lama said that he would give details about the succession around his 90th birthday in July 2025.

Previously, the Dalai Lama has said that the line could end with him. He has also said that he would leave a will at the time of the death.

In 2019, the Dalai Lama told Firstpost’s Madhur Sharma at his home in Dharamshala that the succession would decided by him and free Tibetans living outside of Chinese control and not by the Chinese regime.

“The reincarnation of the Dalai Lama, the future of the Dalai Lama, is ultimately in my own hands. At the time of my death, I will write some will. So my rebirth, I think, will somewhere [be in the] Buddhist community. As early as 1969, I made clear even [that whether] the institution of Dalai Lama should continue or not [is] up to Tibetan people. Reincarnation is not important. It’s important that Buddha’s teachings remain,” said the Dalai Lama at the time.